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Misc - The Nature of The Enneagram Subtypes
Misc - The Nature of The Enneagram Subtypes
Self-preservation
subtype
anxiety
me-first
security
daultlessness refuge
warmth
family
satisfaction
appetite
Sexual
subtype
heat/jealousy
aggression/
masculinity/
competition/hate confidence
strength/
suggestibility
possession/
union
inadaptibility
ambition
prestige
shame totems
duty
sacrifice
friendship
participation
Social
subtype
seduction
famininity beauty
surrender
Figure 10. Traditional Labels for the 27 Subtypes.
4
6
5
8
7
9
1
2
3
SP=appetite
SX=union
SOC=participation
SP=anxiety
SX=heat/jealousy
SOC=inadaptibility
SP=me first
SX=aggression/
seduction
SOC=ambition
SP=security
SX=masculinity/
feminiity
SOC=prestige
SP=dauntlessness
SX=competition/hate
SOC=shame
SP=refuge
SX=confidence
SOC=totems
SP=warmth
SX=strength/beauty
S0C=duty
SP=family
SX=suggestibility
SOC=sacrifice
SP=satisfaction
SX=possession/
surrender
SOC=friendship
Figure 11. Traditional Subtype Descriptions by Enneagram Point.
On the Nature of the Enneagram Subtypes page 8
Part II: An Alternative View of the
Enneagram Types, Centers, and Subtypes
defense system. The idea is that by learning how this defense
system works, we can begin to dismantle it (or perhaps allow it
to be dismantled).
Within this general framework, there are some differenc-
es of opinion about the nature of the subtypes. Helen Palmer
and David Daniels teach that subtypes are entirely a subset of
type, an idea that I believe originated with Ichazo and Naranjo.
However, Don Riso and Russ Hudson teach that subtypes are
a system in their own right. Its for this reason that the two
viewpoints differ in their terminology; Palmer & Daniels refer
to the subtypes as instinctual subtypes while Riso & Hudson
call them instinctual variants.
Although Riso & Hudson make a plausible case for why
they think that subtypes are an independent way of looking at
human activity, their observations came long after the term sub-
type was frmly established. Thats one reason I refer to the
subtypes in this article. Its simply more familiar to people in
the enneagram community.
Whatever their differences, both positions have in common
the idea that subtypes are instinctual in naturethat they arise
in the physical (body) center. They also share the view that
the subtypes operate in concert with the emotional passions
and the cognitive fxations. This is signifcant, because it
means that the subtypes have no existence independent of
the complex of attitudes and behaviors that we associate
with an unbalanced personality.
I fnd this view of the subtypes hard to accept. In Part
II, I talk in greater detail about the reasons why and delin-
eate an alternative theory about the nature of the enneagram
types, centers, and subtypes.
At the 2005 Mindsight Symposium, organizer Dr. Dan
Siegel asked how many mental health care profession-
als in the audience had actually received training in
mental health (as opposed to mental illness). Only a
handful of people raised their hands. Siegel wondered
aloud how our culture is every going to discover the
roots of wellness if all of our attention is focused only
on illness.
18
I wonder the same thing, but in the context of the
enneagram. How are we ever going to find our own
inner power and beauty if we place all our attention on
deficiency and neurosis?
Its for this reason that Ive spent that last several
years trying to come up with an alternative approach to
studying the enneagram. It hasnt been easy, for sev-
eral reasons.
First, I didnt initially have much direct experience
with the enneagram. All I had was my scientific train-
ing and a personal sense of disconnect when I read
the type descriptions in books or listened to the mate-
rial presented in workshops. I sensed that something
wasnt quite right, but couldnt figure out what it was.
Second, I needed to educate myself in areas such
as field theory, chaos theory, and transpersonal psy-
chology in order to articulate an alternative vision.
Third, the underlying assumptions that gave rise to
the material presented were not clearly spelled out any-
where. They seemed to be such givens that there was
apparently no need to delineate them in detail. This
may have been because Ichazos original Arica teach-
ings on the enneagram were said to be revealed to him
in a meditative state. From what I can determine, the
teachings on the enneagram were imparted as esoterica
that was not to be shared with the uninitiated. The only
reason we know about them at all is because the knowl-
edge somehow leaked out. In this sort of situation,
detailed information can be hard to come by.
Below I explain what I worked out for myself
about the types, the centers, and the subtypes. I espe-
cially focus on the enneagram subtypes, because I see
the subtypes as archetypal keys that can help us discover
our purpose in life. I also share some of the fun and
creative ways I discovered to work with the subtypes.
The Enneagram Types
What are the enneagram types? As I mentioned above,
theyre usually described as nine ego-personality types. Type
descriptions most often read like ego defense strategies.
However, if we dont confne the enneagram to the level
of personality, this allows us to imagine other ways of see-
ing the types. One approach is to think of them simply as
motivation types.
When we see them this way, the term type becomes am-
biguous. It can be taken to mean either a type of person or a
On the Nature of the Enneagram Subtypes page 9
type of motivation. In the latter case, its possible to look at
motivation from a transpersonal point of view.
Speaking about motivation from a transpersonal point
of view means seeing motivation as something that can exist
independently of personality. This may be hard for many
of us to imagine. How is it possible to talk about motiva-
tion without talking about personality? Motivation is usually
considered to be a personality attribute, so it may be hard to
imagine it in any other way.
19
However, from the perspective of systems theory,
transpersonal psychology, or feld theory, its defnitely pos-
sible to conceive of motivation as existing independently
of the human personality. From this perspective, even pro-
cesses and inanimate objects can have a purpose. As one
of the developers of the helicopter, Arthur Young, observes,
There never was a machine that did not have a purpose.
And there is perhaps no purpose that does not require a ma-
chine, whether a human body or some other kind of machine,
to achieve it.
20
Young is obviously speaking of purpose in a transper-
sonal sense here. What he seems to be hinting at is the idea
that life itself is flled with a purposeful intelligence, and that
human beings are one of the vehicles through which the goals
of this intelligence are achieved. From the human point of
view, the purposeful intelligence would seem to be our own
personal property. But if we refect deeply on nature of this
intelligence and its deeply compelling nature, its not hard to
imagine that its origins lie beyond the personality self.
21
If we think of life itself as purposefully intelligent, then
it makes sense that this intelligence can be differentiated (that
it can take many forms). At the point that this intelligence
becomes differentiated, its loses its 360 degree perspective
and becomes narrowed in scope. But it also becomes more
pointed in focus. What represents a loss in one arena repre-
sents a gain in another.
The differentiation process is open-ended and can con-
tinue indefnitely. Whats relevant to us as human beings is
how this differentiation is refected on the level of the human
psyche. The enneagram provides a tool designed to do just
that. It shows us nine ways of being in the world based on
nine varieties of motivated intelligence. Determining which
of the nine energies most motivates us is how we discover
our enneagram type or point of view.
From a transpersonal point of view, each enneagram
point can be said to represent an archetypal energy source.
The energy of the point provides us with the energy we need
to operate in the physical world; we in turn provide it with a
physical vehicle thats able to ground its energy on the physi-
cal plane of existence.
When it works the way its supposed to, theres a Fig-
ure-8 fow between the archetypal and physical planes. Each
nourishes the other. The fner energies of the archetypal
world imbue life on earth with a sense of joy and magic;
these are the energies that touch our hearts and inspire our
actions. When were part of that fow, life seems really alive;
we feel its rhythms and sense its fullness.
Our openness to these energies enables us to bring some-
thing into life thats needed on this level of existencewhat
we bring is not just for ourselves, but for life in a broader
sense. We may never fully understand why our role mat-
ters, but just knowing that it does matter (and that we mat-
ter)can bring a degree of inner contentment that makes the
cares of life easier to bear.
The energy of our enneagram point is what makes our
participation in life possible. So its very precious. Its the
energy of our point that obscures some elements of life so
that others can more fully unfold. The fact that its limited
means that well notice some things and not othersthat
well be drawn strongly in some directions and away from
other directions. It also guarantees that well never be able
to develop a personality self thats perfectible on the physical
level of reality.
And therein lies the rub. In Western culture, we totally
infate the importance of the personality while at the same
time hating its lack of perfection. No matter how much we
polish it up or cover it over, the human personality always
remains something of an embarrassing albatross around our
necks. Even people with the most refned personalities can
fnd themselves in situations where they feel like idiots.
Because the personality self is not perfectible in a
mechanical sense, we automatically assume there must be
something wrong with it. It never occurs to us that the per-
sonality might be made the way it is on purpose. Or more
precisely, to serve some purpose. It never occurs to us that
the kind of perfection we seek may not really be what we
need to respond to the changing conditions that are the only
constant in life.
Suppose that the crazy, biased, foolish personality self
is just the kind of structure we need for dealing with the cra-
zy, biased, foolish world we live in? Suppose that getting
balanced has more to do with accepting and integrating the
crazy parts of ourselves than with trying to disown or over-
civilize them?
We may think that embracing the chaotic or unattract-
ive aspects of the psyche is dangerous, but I suspect its not
nearly so dangerous as disowning them.
22
Granted, its not always easy to see the personality in a
positive light. It seems to be the cause of so many problems.
Psychologists see it as the source of psychological disorders.
Religious leaders see it as the impetus for immoral acts.
Spiritual practitioners see it as a barrier that keeps them from
experiencing states of higher consciousness.
On the Nature of the Enneagram Subtypes page 10
These sorts of criticisms make the personality the bad
actor that needs to be reformed. But the very act of sin-
gling it out in this way divides the psyche, causing further
problems. What we need is a way of focusing on personality
from a different perspective.
I think that systems theory offers that kind of perspec-
tive. Systems theory looks at systems as living organisms
composed of many parts. The working assumption is that
systems function optimally when theres harmony among all
of its individual elements.
One reason I like systems theory is that systems theo-
rists tend to be a fairly optimistic lot. When theyre trying to
understand a system, they start by assuming that the system
exists for a purpose. They also assume that all of the parts
of the system have a contribution to make to the system as
a whole. A lot of their work focuses on discovering which
parts of the system are working really well, so that they can
use this as a foundation from which the entire system can
beneft.
If we apply systems thinking to the psyche, then we can
conceptualize the psyche as a both as a total system and as
a collection of individual elements, one of which is the ego-
personality self. If the personality is part of the psyche, then
we have to assume that is has a valid and useful purpose,
even if we might not always understand exactly what it is.
But if we approach the study of personality with curiosity
and openness, we might learn something new about it.
23
I see the enneagram as a great tool for studying the
psyche from a systems perspective. The enneagram itself vi-
sually depicts an open system. The circle shows us the sys-
tem as a whole. Each point shows us a major organ within
the system. And the inner lines show us the fow of energy
between the various organs.
So the enneagram gives us a matrix for understanding
the psyche from many perspectives and on many levels.
I fnd this way of working with the enneagram fun and
exciting. Its broad, because it enables me to look at type
from a transpersonal and systemic perspective. Its deep,
because it relies on the insights of depth psychologies put
forth by people like Carl Jung and James Hillman. Its op-
timistic, because its based on the idea that life is intelligent
and that the enneagram types refect the diversity of that in-
telligence.
The Energy Centers
If you recall from our earlier discussion, Gurdjieff had a
number of different ways that he talked about the energy
centers (see Figures 3 - 5).
Only one of these (Figure 5) was adopted as the prima-
ry model for the personality enneagram. This is the model
that divides the emotional and mental centers into higher
and lower versions and positions the physical center (which
is said to have no higher center) at the same level as the
lower versions of the other two centers.
Its my impression that Gurdjieffs purpose in dividing
the centers into lower and higher versions was to contrast
ordinary perception (which takes place in the lower centers)
with extraordinary or subtle perception (which takes place
in the higher centers). And for that purpose, this kind of
model makes sense.
But when the teachings of the personality enneagram
were developed, somehow the lower center came to be as-
sociated not just with ordinary perception, but with distorted
or imbalanced perception. I dont know the reason for this,
although I do know that Gurdjieff wasnt exactly a big fan of
ordinary human nature, so the tone of his writings may have
led those who followed him to assume that ordinary percep-
tion must be equivalent to distorted perception.
Whatever the reason, this assumption that limitation =
distortion came to be embedded in the basic teachings on
the personality enneagram. When coupled with the idea
that the body is inherently limited (because theres no higher
center), this approach invites us to suppose that anything as-
sociated with the body must be debased.
This sounds suspiciously like the old and familiar be-
lief that the body is a source of impure desire and is noth-
ing more than a necessary evil. This belief has deep roots
in Western culture, going back many centuries. Although
most people no longer consciously embrace this idea that
the body is evil, on a subconscious level were still suscep-
tible to the pull of the old ways. I think this is why its been
so easy to accept the idea that the body center is inherently
lower in nature.
24
Whenever we divide things into higher vs. lower as-
pects, its always tempting to regard the lower aspects as
lesser aspects. Thats why Id really like to scrap the whole
idea of talking about higher and lower centers in favor of
talking about centersperiod. But if were going to retain
the higher vs. lower distinction, then its critical that we
at least modify our ideas to allow for the possibility that
the lower centers can operate in a balanced and integrated
manner.
Gurdjieff gives us a precedent for this kind of approach
by talking about three levels within each of the lower cen-
ters: the intelligent, the motivational, and the mechanical
(see Figure 4). Since he uses the word intelligent, I can
only assume he means something that arises out of a bal-
anced or attuned perspective. If this is true, then it means
On the Nature of the Enneagram Subtypes page 11
that Gurdjieff formally acknowledged that ordinary percep-
tion doesnt necessarily imply distorted or imbalanced per-
ception.
If we want to create a model to show what this would
look like, we could divide each of the lower centers into
higher and lower levels and designate these levels as a way
to distinguish attuned from unattuned activity (whether
physical, emotional, or mental).
Figure 12 shows us such a model. In this fgure, the
states of exalted consciousness are grayed out, because
theyre not our main focus. The three circles that remain
represent states of ordinary consciousness. Each circle is di-
vided in two. The bottom half of the circle represents func-
tioning which is less balanced and the top half represents
functioning which is more balanced. So on the bottom half,
we see unattuned action, reactive emotions (passions), and
rigid thinking (fxations). On the top half, we see attuned
action, responsive emotions, and fexible thinking.
In this fgure, the term subtype behaviors no longer ap-
pears in the physical center. This is because I conceive of
subtype behaviors as behavioral profles that can be either
attuned or unattuned in nature. So they can belong to either
half of the circle. This is symbolized by the presence of
three colored arenas in both halves of the whole.
A model like this has a number of advantages. First, it
doesnt assume that ordinary consciousness equals distorted
consciousness. Second, it shows us ways that higher con-
sciousness can be manifest right here in ordinary life, in our
acts, emotions, and thoughts. Third, it restores the physical
center to a place of honor. The physical center is the center
that directs things on the physical level of reality, so by hon-
oring the physical center, we honor the things that happen in
our daily lives.
Focusing on ordinary activities is especially relevant
for our study of subtypes, because the subtype refects the
way that type energy comes into play in a given arena of
daily life. If we assume that life is intelligent, then there
has to be some reason that life exists on this physical level
of reality. This is the place where we live. Both the body
and the personality self are the vehicles we need to func-
tion here. If we think of them as sinful, embarrassing, or
pathological, we negate the value of our ordinary lives and
cut ourselves off from our own inner wisdom. We split the
psyche in two, and then seek to eradicate the lower half (on
the grounds that its inferior).
The word inferior usually has a derogatory meaning.
However, in his theory of personality types, Carl Jung uses
this word in quite a different sense. When he speaks of the
inferior function of the personality, hes not making a nega-
tive evaluation, hes just referring to the least developed of
the four functions that make up the personality self. Accord-
ing to Jung, its this fourth inferior function that holds all
the unlovable shadow material thats been rejected by the
rest of the psyche as undesirable. Its also the function that
most needs our love and support. By valuing what it has to
teach us, we transform its prima materia into real gold.
This is yet another reason for getting rid of the dividing
line between the higher and lower parts of the ordinary cen-
ters. For if we choose to separate the centers into two parts,
the bottom half is likely to contain the shadow material that
we need for transformation.
Figure 13 shows the model I like the most. It consists
of three yin-yang circles that correspond to the three cen-
ters. Each contains the three subtype arena circles, as well,
because I have a hard time seeing the subtypes as the func-
tion of a single center. Subtype behaviors may be physi-
Figure 12. The Enneagram Energy Centers from Two Perspectives. The fgure on the LEFT represents the traditional view of the enneagram energy
centers (and corresponds exactly to Figure 9). The fgure on the RIGHT represents a non-traditional view of the enneagram energy centers that focuses
entirely on ordinary consciousness and makes provision for the existence of non-distorted modes of thinking, feeling, and behaving at this level of aware-
ness.
Emotional
center
Mental
center center
Physical
Higher
emotional
center
Higher
mental
center
(passions)
(fixations)
reactive emotions rigid thinking
responsive
emotions
flexible
thinking
attuned
action
unattuned
action
(Holy Ideas)
(Holy Virtues)
mental
center
(Holy Ideas)
emotional
center
(Holy Virtues)
mental
center
Higher Higher
Lower
center
physical
(Lower)
(subtype behaviors)
emotional
center
Lower
(passions) (fixations)
On the Nature of the Enneagram Subtypes page 12
cal in manifestation, but nothing ever
comes into manifestation without frst
existing as an idea or being energized
by emotion. Everything that exists in
the physical realm also exists in some
form on other levels. As Buddhist psy-
chotherapist Mark Epstein notes, Ev-
erything is instinct, but everything is
also spirit.
25
Im not claiming that this yin-yang
model is better or more accurate than
any other, only that its useful for look-
ing at the enneagram from a systems
perspective. I fnd it useful for three
reasons. First, it shows the polarity of
energies that exist within each center in a way that makes
no positive or negative value judgments about either polar-
ity. Second, it shows the three centers as working together
to form an integrated whole. Third, it shows the colored
circles that represent each subtype behavior as existing in all
three of the energy centers, not just the physical center.
The model in the previous fgure (Figure 12) is also
useful, but its still dualistic. It still divides the centers into
hierarchical compartments and places a higher value on one
level than the other.
Models that are dualistic make sense to us, because
were used to them But as the authors of Seven Lesson of
Chaos have observed, our fxation on dualities causes us to
obscure what is really going on.
26
What is really going on is much more dynamic than
our fxed categories can account for. Thats why its not
particularly useful to categorize traits as good or bad with-
out regard to context.
In systems theory, context is key. The focus is on the
dynamic relationship between an individual and their envi-
ronment. Keeping the focus on interaction helps us to culti-
vate the kind of in the moment awareness that we need to
act appropriately, according to our individual nature.
The Enneagram Subtypes
The material in the preceding sections is designed to pro-
vide a framework for the main topic of discussion: the en-
neagram subtypes. The subtypes are typically presented
as prototypical patterns of behavior that arise in response
to the needs of the personality. But from the beginning,
I never saw them that way. Instead, I saw both the types
and subtypes as archetypes. Although archetypes possess
qualities with which we can personally
identify, they are bigger than the per-
sonality. They have a larger-than-life
quality that tends to take us beyond the
personality self, if we only allow it.
One reason I saw the types as ar-
chetypes is that, although each type
motivation is unique and distinctive,
its not unidimensional. Its multidi-
mensional. It arises at a level that is
beyond the personality level. Thats
why we cant describe each type with a
single word or phrase. We can experi-
ence the energy of each type (for ex-
ample, by watching or participating in a
type panel),
27
but whenever we try to pin a label on the type,
were like the blind men trying to identify the elephant by
pointing to one of its parts. Whatever label we choose will
be insuffcient. It will not fully encompass the energy of
the type.
Thats what lead me to start looking at each type or
point as a family of related energies that cluster around a
motivational core. Im interested in the core, but Im also
interested in all the different forms that this core energy can
take in daily life.
I sensed that the only way I could get in touch with
my innate wholeness is by seeing the diverse ways that this
wholeness can fnd expression in ordinary life. Most of the
time, my actual experience is that of diversity. But if I can
see the relationship between the diversity and some larger
principle, I no longer lose myself in the diversity. I no lon-
ger feel separated from life or from other people.
It was this desire to experience wholeness that lead me
to study the enneagram subtypes. I saw in the subtypes a
useful matrix for looking at how type shows up both in real
life (in the roles we play in our families, with our friends,
at work, and in public) and in the world of our imagination
(as archetypal fgures, dramatic personas, and the stories
we tell ourselves about our lives). Looking at these inner
personae and each of their stories became a way for me to
see how theyre all expressions of the same core motiva-
tion.
28
But Im getting ahead of myself here. Before we can
really talk about the subtypes, we need to defne our terms
and look at our operating assumptions.
I want to start by distinguishing three concepts: sub-
types, subtype arenas, and subtype behaviors. These all
sound like the same thing, but theyre not. The subtype
arenas are the three domains in which we act:
M
e
n
t
a
l
E
m
o
t
i
o
n
a
l
P
hysica
l
Figure 13.
Holistic Model of the Energy Centers.
On the Nature of the Enneagram Subtypes page 13
Arena of the self: individual self-suffciency, self-care &
personhood
Arena of intimacy: sexuality, creativity & transformation
Arena of community: sociability, participation & social
responsibility
29
When we combine the three arenas with each of the nine
enneagram types, we get the actual subtypes, e.g., Sexual
3, Social 5, etc. These are often given descriptive labels to
make them more memorable. There are just three subtype
arenas, but there are 27 enneagram subtypes (9 types x 3
arenas). The subtype behaviors are habit patterns that tend to
go along with each of the subtypes. Theyre like profles that
help fesh out the nature of the subtype.
The difference between type, subtype, subtype arena,
and subtype behaviors is illustrated by Figure 14, which is
a miniature version of one of the tables describing the sub-
types at the end of this article. The fgure legend describes
the difference between types, subtype arenas, and subtypes.
Earlier, I discussed the way that the subtypes are viewed
by many people in the enneagram community. There are
three assertions often made about the subtypes: